Sri Lanka Turned a Global Media Summit Into a Tourism Showcase

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka's decision to invest in the recently concluded Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) General Assembly was driven by one objective: placing the country before a global audience and strengthening its standing as a leading tourism destination, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said.

Addressing concerns over expenditure related to the event, Herath argued that international visibility is essential if Sri Lanka hopes to remain competitive in the global tourism market.

"In order to attract tourists, it is essential that Sri Lanka strengthens its international image and establishes itself as a globally respected destination. We have already implemented a large number of initiatives towards that goal. As a result, 2025 became a historic year, recording the highest number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka's history," he said.

The Minister noted that despite geopolitical tensions, travel disruptions caused by conflict in the Middle East and challenges posed by Cyclone Ditwah, the decline in tourist arrivals this year had been marginal.

"Compared to last year, there is a reduction of only around 30,000 arrivals. Even amid various challenges this year, Sri Lanka has welcomed 1.862 million tourists so far. October has become the highest-performing October in the country's history in terms of tourist arrivals," he said.

According to Herath, those results are the outcome of sustained investments in international tourism promotion, destination marketing and overseas branding campaigns carried out through the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

He revealed that Sri Lanka had spent tens of millions of rupees participating in major tourism fairs and promotional events across the world, including campaigns in the Netherlands, India, Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, China, Australia and New Zealand.

The Minister said such initiatives require substantial financial commitments, including international roadshows, destination promotions, cultural showcases, public relations campaigns and industry engagement programmes.

"The reality is that our Tourism Promotion Bureau incurs significant expenditure when carrying out separate tourism promotion campaigns in individual countries. However, these initiatives help attract tourists who generate billions of dollars in revenue for the country. Therefore, some level of investment in promotion is essential," he said.

Against that backdrop, Herath described the 63rd General Assembly of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, held in Sri Lanka, as a rare opportunity that delivered exceptional value for money.

The opportunity emerged after ABU member organisations decided at the 2024 General Assembly in Türkiye that Sri Lanka would host the event in 2026.

"This was a special advantage for Sri Lanka, and we made use of that opportunity," he said.

Rejecting suggestions that the event was intended to benefit a single broadcaster, the Minister stressed that the Government viewed it as a platform to promote Sri Lanka globally.

"This event was not about promoting a private television channel. It was an opportunity for tourism development and tourism promotion, and we made full use of that opportunity."

The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union consists of approximately 225 media organisations from 66 countries, including both public and private broadcasters. Sri Lanka is represented within the organisation by several member institutions, among them MTV Channel (Pvt) Ltd.

Herath said the value of the event extended far beyond the conference halls.

"When an international conference of this scale is held in Sri Lanka, the benefits extend far beyond the conference itself. Participants take part in workshops, travel to various destinations, produce video content and create programmes highlighting Sri Lanka. All of those programmes are then broadcast on their respective channels in their own countries."

Nearly 350 delegates attended the event, representing some of the most influential broadcasters in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, including ABC Australia, NHK Japan, China Media Group, KBS South Korea, Prasar Bharati India, Mediacorp Singapore and TRT Türkiye.

The delegates were taken to destinations such as Galle and Bentota, where they produced content showcasing Sri Lanka's tourism offerings, heritage sites, cultural experiences and hospitality sector.

"Every one of those delegates promotes Sri Lanka's tourism industry, cultural heritage and attractions through their media organisations, reaching audiences around the world," the Minister said.

Herath argued that comparable international exposure through conventional tourism campaigns would have cost the country substantially more.

"As I mentioned earlier, we spend Rs. 150 million merely to conduct tourism promotions in Australia and New Zealand. Through this event, however, we achieved even greater exposure at a cost of around Rs. 100 million."

The Minister also moved to address questions about the approval process, stating that the event was not part of the original annual tourism promotion plan because the opportunity arose during the year.

According to him, discussions were subsequently held with MTV, the designated host selected through the ABU process, after which the proposal was evaluated by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

The proposal was first presented to the Bureau's Board on July 23, where members requested a further assessment of the potential benefits. Approval was subsequently granted on August 11.

Herath said the decision was taken with the support of Board members representing the private sector, including the hotel industry and travel sector, and was approved during the tenure of then Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam.

As the project involved expenditure of Rs. 106 million and was not included in the original annual plan, approval was also sought from the Department of Public Finance, which was granted on September 18.

The proposal was then submitted to the Cabinet. Following a request for additional information after the first submission on September 28, Cabinet approval was formally granted on September 30.

"Everything was done according to the proper legal and administrative procedures," Herath said.

"All procedures were followed lawfully and correctly. This was not a programme designed to benefit any individual or private interest."

For the Government, the Minister said, the event ultimately represented something far more valuable than a conference. It was a rare opportunity to place Sri Lanka's tourism product before some of the world's most influential broadcasters and to secure international visibility that would otherwise have required a far larger investment.